


First Snow

by curlsandblueyes



Series: Promptmas [1]
Category: Marvel, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Christmas, Flashbacks, Holidays, Memories, Stark Family, Time Progression, promptmas, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 12:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16810918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curlsandblueyes/pseuds/curlsandblueyes
Summary: Day 1: First Snow





	First Snow

_The first time Michelle remembered seeing snow was when she was 7. She was sure there had been times before that, spent looking out the window while the streets of New York City turned white. However, she remembered it best at 2AM, waking up to the sound of their tiny old Kitchenware microwave beeping from the kitchen. The room she shared with her older sister was small, their twin bed smaller and squeezed under the window was one dresser with a lamp. Dulled moonlight washed in across her face and she blinked the sleepy fuzziness from her eyes. She pushed herself up onto one arm and looked around the mostly dark room, everything was still and the only sound was her sister’s light snoring. She whipped her head around to look at the door when she heard the sound of the microwave being shut. Michelle remembered the worn cotton of their old Elmo comforter they still had, even though Shauna was 12 and Michelle had only seen Elmo once on the TV of some hospital waiting room. She knew not to ask for something different, they didn’t have the money nor the care. She shivered when her bare feet hit the cold hardwood and held her arms as she left the room. Her curls covered most of her face as they draped around her shoulders, she stumbled sleepily down the hall barely making a sound and into the kitchen._

_He was hunched over the counter looking out the kitchen window and she watched a flurry of small shadows dance across his illuminated face. His hand was wrapped around the handle of an ‘I Love NY’ mug and steam billowed out of the top. Michelle stepped forward once more and rubbed her eye with a small fist as the floor creaked gently beneath her._

_“Daddy,” she mumbled softly._

_Callum Jones turned around and Michelle lowered her eyes to steer clear of his blue ones. It startled her sometimes, she knew no one else with blue eyes like that and a complexion like her own. They were harder to read. Scarier. She picked at the end of her hair before raising her eyes to look at him again, this time meeting his gaze. The gold chain around his neck glittered under the silvery light and he lifted the mug to his lips eyes not leaving her._

_“You’re supposed to be in bed,” he said slowly leaning against the counter on one arm._

_“Heard the microwave,” she said._

_“Who? You’re Mama? Shauna? The neighbor?” He snapped._

_“I heard the microwave, sir,” she said._

_“Don’t start speaking like you’re Mama and you’re sister. It’s a bad habit, it sounds bad,” Callum said._

_“Yes sir,” she mumbled looking down at her feet._

_“And don’t look at your feet when you speak. Its rude. I ain’t raise you to be rude Michelle,” Callum said._

_She looked back up at him and pursed her lips._

_“Didn’t,” she said._

_“Excuse me?” He asked raising an eyebrow._

_“You said ‘Ain’t’ it's ‘Didn’t’. You didn’t raise me to be rude,” she said._

_He looked at her with a cold stare for a few seconds, she was nervous he would be angry for her correcting him before he nodded his chin downwards._

_“Come here,” he said._

_She walked over and he placed the mug on the counter before reaching down and pulling her up under her arms. She shifted uncomfortably as she sat on the cold counter that permeated from under her thin pajamas. From this angle she had a better view of his face and the shadows that continued to fall across like the static on a TV. She looked towards the window and caught a glimpse of something white falling down like rain. It was slower, and it twisted like a dance down to the streets bellow._

_“The meteorologist said we’d be getting a bad storm,” Callum sighed._

_Michelle turned back to her father and cocked her head to the side._

_“Meteorologist?” She asked._

_“Weather guy. You know the bald guy on TV who you think looks like Mr.Wallace down in 3A,” he said._

_Michelle couldn’t help the amused giggle when she thought about old Mr.Wallace downstairs. He was always cranky and would complain about her when he found her sitting on the steps reading a book. She was ‘blocking the stairs’ he said, but the man never climbed a flight being that he was living on the first floor. Michelle would sketch his bald head like a planet or a soccer ball in the dog ears of the book she was reading when he complained. She had about 23 in total. His dog was nice though and she managed to sneak it some dog biscuits that the bodega on the corner handed out for free, so she kept a stash just for him._

_“MJ,” her father said._

_She looked up at the sound of her nickname he had given her and he held up the mug to her face._

_“Blow its hot,” he said._

_She wrapped her smaller hands around her father’s big one on the mug and blew into the drink. She smelt the sweet chocolate and her mouth watered at the small treat, three small marshmallows floated half-melted in the hot drink. She guided the rim of the cup to her mouth with some help from him and took a sip. It was still a little shock when the hot liquid hit her tongue but when it slid past her taste buds, that puckered at the sweetness, she welcomed the warmth in her tummy. Callum lowered the cup and Michelle licked her bottom lip, her tongue a little blistered from the burn but content with the sip nonetheless._

_“Can’t watch the first snowfall of the year without some hot chocolate,” her father said._

_-_

Something small hits her in the back of the head and she sits straight up. Thankfully her jerky movement isn’t caught by many seeing as half the class is asleep themselves. The room is dark and darker than usual due to the cloudy day it is. Michelle yawns and drags her fist across both her eyes as she blinks away the black spots. She reaches behind her as something snags on a curl and produces a blue mechanical pencil. Michelle looks over to her lab partner, Betty Brandt, and notices her sniffling with glossy eyes. There is a substitute in their Biology class today so that means they’re watching a movie left behind by their teacher. The same documentary he’s left every time for them to watch, its on the shark finning industry in Asia. Although Michelle is all for activist movies like this, its the _fifth hundred_ time they’ve seen this film and she cant understand why Betty cries every time.

Finally, Michelle turns completely around and holds up the pencil with a glare. Ned’s excited smile slowly digresses to a nervous lip twitch and he jumps in his seat when the bell rings. Students scramble to collect themselves, others woken violently by the shrill of the bell, others are already packed and the rest of the class all hustle for the door. The hallway is packed and Michelle is thankful for her height to guide her in the sea of sweaty, pubescent, and high-pitched voice teenagers. She’s also thankful for the many bodies it puts in between herself and Ned, who his fighting _against_ the crowd to catch up with her.

“MJ wait!” Ned called out to her as he ran up to her side finally.

“You woke me up from my nap,” she said pushing through a group of girls giggling by the bathroom.

Ned stuttered out half-hearted apologies on Michelle’s behalf while trying to keep up with her. HIs shoulder knocked against hers as they made there way to meet up with Peter by their lockers. Ned’s head was buried in his phone, using Michelle’s presence to guide him and scrolling rapidly through some app. He didn’t even look up when Michelle spotted Peter digging around in his locker. Peter noticed them when he closed it and smiled as they approached, meeting them halfway but pausing when he saw her face.

“Uh-oh. Someone looks grumpy. What happened?” Peter asked grabbing his backpack strap and sticking a hand in his front pocket.

Ned, still distracted by whatever he was searching for, nearly walked past them if it wasn’t for Peter’s guiding hand on his shoulder. He steered him back in between them as he waited for Michelle’s answer.

“Dweeb over here woke me up from my nap,” she repeated.

“Ah. Shark fin soup documentary again?” Peter asked.

She gave a single nod crossing her arms.

“Good dream?” Peter asked this time with a smirk.

She shrugged looking down at the tips of her combat boots that peeked out from beneath her long blue skirt. She could sense Peter’s frown at her silent response and she quickly started forming some quick comeback to whatever question he was going to ask. Before either one could open their mouthes Ned finally perked up and brandished his phone.

“Look! See this my friends! This is a guaranteed early start to Christmas break!” Ned declared with a triumphant smirk.

Their conversation abandoned, Peter and Michelle leaned in close to watch the colorful mass of pixels move over the island of Manhattan. There was a ninety-eight percent chance of snow falling tomorrow afternoon with a forecast of at least two feet.

“Sweet! Snow this early!” Peter exclaimed with an excited grin.

“And you know what this means….” Ned said with suspense.

“ _Movie Marathon!_ ” They both practically sang.

“Nerds,” Michelle scoffed.

“Oh come on MJ! You should join us! It’ll be fun!” Ned said.

“Come on, you know want to,” Peter egged on while bumping her shoulder with his elbow.

She looked between both of their excited faces before rolling her eyes and nodding when Peter started to pout. Stupid-cute baby-face loser.

“Fine I’ll partake in your escapade of nerdom,” she said waving her hand.

“Yes!” Both boys cheered with an exchange of their famous handshake.

Michelle shook her head and walked past them to the cafeteria. Peter and Ned continuing on behind her as they followed.

“Dude we’ll have to do it at your place,” Ned said then.

“W-what?! No! Why? You have the bigger TV!” Peter moaned.

They approached their lunch table, and Peter swung in a leg, depositing his things on one side and sitting next to Michelle, while Ned climbed in in front of them.

“I’m sorry man but my grandmother is here till Christmas and she watches her Filipino soap operas with my mom on Thursday and Friday nights,” Ned apologized pulling out his lunch.

“What’s wrong with your TV, Parker?” Michelle asked pulling out her book.

“It’s so tiny and I love Aunt May but you know her commentary when we try and watch classics,” Peter sighed throwing a deformed baby-carrot back into the ziplock bag he had made for lunch.

Michelle shrugged stealing a grape from Ned’s container of mixed fruit.

“We could do it at my place,” she said.

Ned and Peter looked up at her then, her nose down in her book, with her curls curtaining her face, and then looked at each other. Then back to her. This time she looked up with an eyebrow raised.

“What?” She snapped.

“You’ve never invited us over…” Peter mumbled.

“Never a reason to. Your places were sufficient for studying,” Michelle said going back to her book.

“Well as long as there is a TV, I’ll bring the movies,” Ned said.

“I’ll secure the snacks and drinks,” Peter declared.

“Awesome losers,” Michelle said with a yawn.

-

Later that night while Michelle laid in bed she contemplated tomorrow. Was it too soon to invite them over? There would be lots of questions. Questions she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer. For them to know. They had only started hanging out about two months ago. Since then Michelle has slow inched her way onto their side of the lunch table and into their lives after giving them permission to call her MJ. She had three more years left of Midtown, might as well try to be somewhat social, she had already joined the Decathlon team against her self given advice. Being a loner had been her plan but that was now out the window, so why not take the whole leap? Maybe cause that leap resulted in a pit of jagged spikes and poisonous rivers… at least in her mind it did.

She rolled over onto her side facing the wide window over her head. The moon was covered by clouds, completely blacking out the sky and behind her the clock on her nightstand clicked on in the deafening silence. She tried not think about that too much, she was good at putting up boundaries even if part of her didn’t want to have those boundaries with her losers. Yes, _her_ losers. And when they got here it would be fine once they dived head first into junky food and sci-fi movies. She rolled onto her stomach, hugged her pillow close and closed her eyes trying to find dreamless sleep.

Michelle was thrown off when her phone started buzzing. She hadn’t needed an alarm to wake up for school since there first week. Her internal clock had been tuned in to waking up at the ungodly hour before school started so when her phone started going off she was between perplexed and pissed. Groaning she turned to her nightstand where her phone with the screen facing down was vibrating nearly violently against the wood. She picked it up and instantly regretted it, unprepared and flinching when the screen blinded her. It took a minute, and her lowering the brightness entirely, to adjust before squinting her eyes at the number. It was Midtown’s number and she answered with a groggy, and irritated, hello.

“Good morning. This is Midtown High School calling to inform you that the school will be closed today, Thursday, December 12th 2018, due to the recent forecast-,”

Michelle hung up mid-sentence and snuggled closer under her warm blankets. A few more minutes of warm, blissful-.

Her phone dinged.

_Who the hell?_

She narrowed her eyes at her phone currently alit with her latest text and looked at the offending person daring to text her this early.

_Ned: Guys I have to pack more movies now_

_Peter: Should I bring breakfast snacks?_

Michelle rolled her eyes for what seemed like the seventh-hundred time in the past 24 hours before rolling onto her back, with her phone above her head and responding.

_Michelle: Be here 10AM. Sharp. I’ll make pancakes. You snooze you lose_

_Ned: HELL YEAH!_

_Peter: What kind of pancakes?_

_Michelle: Banana chocolate-chip_

_Ned:…_

_Ned: Can I come now?_

_Peter: I’m already getting dressed._

Michelle looked at the time and she scoffed. 6:45. Inconceivable.

_Michelle: Doors don’t open until 9:30_

_Ned: Sweet we’ll be there at 9:29. Peter be ready for pick up!_

_Peter: Aye aye Captain!_

Michelle bit her lip to reduce the amused smile on her lips, now totally awake she sat up and texted back.

_Michelle: Just to inform you, you’re ‘loser’ percentages have just increased._

_Peter: Needs, MJ. We are losers with needs._

_Ned: Banana chocolate-chip pancake needs_

Michelle couldn’t hold back the smile anymore. They were ridiculous, ravenous, and geeky teenage boys. But they were hers. Someone had to water them every now and again. She decided to be generous and texted back before getting up to take a shower.

_Michelle: Just text me when you’re on your way and I’ll buzz you in._

She sent the address and smirked to herself as she heard her abandoned phone blow up with excited texts. She wasn’t sure why she had volunteered to make breakfast but maybe the holiday spirit was getting to her after all. Considering she hadn’t really celebrated Christmas since she was eleven, and even then it hadn’t been anything special, she wasn’t really the holiday type of person. She had spent every Christmas alone in some Starbucks, considering they were the only coffee shop opened on the holiday, reading and slowly sipping on an vanilla cold brew. She finished her shower, getting dressed in pair of old gray sweats and a royal blue long sleeve shirt, the Midtown atom logo on the right sleeve. She checked her phone and saw that it was 7:45, Peter was going to pick up Ned now and May was going to drop them off before her shift at the hospital, instead of Ned driving in the possible bad weather. She texted a thumbs up in response, leaving her phone on the island she set about pulling things out of the cabinet to make the pancakes and bowls, cups and plates for their snacks for later. She wasn’t sure what or how much Peter would be bringing but she had plenty of food in case on an emergency.

She glanced out the floor to ceiling windows in the living room and looked out to the dreary gray sky set as the backdrop for the Queens skyline. It would be a good lazy day for their movie marathon, she dug out some blankets from the closet in the hall and blankets. She threw the expensive comforters and king sized pillows on to the couch and switched on the electric fireplace that she barely used. It felt a little more homey now and part of her found some childish giddy feeling bubble up until the intercom buzzed. She jumped in surprise and cursed when her knee hit the edge of the coffee table when she ran to the door. Butterflies were buzzing about her stomach as she let them into the building and looked at her phone. Ned had texted in the group chat that they were here three minutes ago. Then came the knock at the door, Michelle swallowed hard and put on her best blank face. She couldn’t let the losers know she was excited and let them believe she was actually looking forward to the nerd-fest. Cause’ she wasn’t. Not even a little.

She heard their hushed voices on the other side of door and opened it to an obvious whisper argument between Ned and Peter. When the door opened their heads snapped up to her and she raised an eyebrow at them. Both of them were carrying two grocery bags each and had their backpacks, dressed in sweats and hoodies with their hair disheveled. They obviously had just rolled out of bed.

“Would you like me to leave you two losers to whatever it was you were talking about? I’ll gladly eat the pancakes myself,” She said.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Ned gasped and Peter looked scandalized.

“Then get your butts in here before I leave you out here till 10AM,” Michelle said walking away and leaving the door open for them.

Both boys scrambled into the apartment and Peter shut the door behind them.

“Leaving your shoes by mine,” she called back to them.

“T-this is a nice place MJ,” Peter said as Ned and him wandered into the kitchen and living area.

She shrugged as the boys looked around and took in the new environment. Then Peter spotted the view and his eyes widened.

“Holy shit… what a nice view! This is amazing!” Peter said in awe.

“Actually Pete, _this_ is a nice view,” Ned said matter of factly pointing at the ingredients for the pancakes on the counter.

“Solid view,” Peter agreed nodding and walking over to lean on the island.

“The stomach always wins,” Michelle said pulling out bananas from the fridge.

“Seriously though, you’ve got a nice apartment MJ,” Ned said playing with the touch screen on the fridge.

“Its nice, but its not mine,” she said while cutting slices out of the first banana.

Ned let out a small choked sound and she looked up to their horrified faces.

“What? Do you think I can personally afford an apartment like this? Do I look like Tony Stark?” Michelle teased.

Both let out relieved sighs and she crossed her arms, with the knife still in one hand, fixing them with a questionable stare.

“You losers thought I snuck into this nice apartment so we could have a movie marathon?” She asked.

Ned opened his mouth but Peter answered.

“I-in our defense, we’ve never actually been over before, you’re parents aren’t home _and_ it would be something we could see you doing,” Peter said.

Ned closed his mouth and nodded in agreement.

“Touche,” she said shrugging.

The boys smiled and Ned offered to help but Michelle waved him off and told them to set everything up. Peter started loading the fridge with the drinks he had bought: water, gatorade, sprite, coca-cola and -.

“Decaf coke?” Michelle asked raising an eyebrow.

Peter laughed sheepishly and took the can from her hand.

“Thats for me, caffeine makes me jumpy,” he admitted.

“Guys I’ve never felt blankets so soft,” Ned said from the living room his voice muffled.

Michelle and Peter looked over and saw Ned, face down, on the pile of comforters. Michelle snickered as Peter gasped and told Ned to move over before running to him and falling face down beside him. There was a unison groan of contentment from the boys and Michelle shook her head at their antics. She mixed the pancake batter and added the chocolate chips, the butter melted in the pan she started pouring small circles and the smell of banana wafted into the air. Suddenly she wasn’t alone in the kitchen and she smiled as she felt Peter and Ned leaning over her shoulders watching the pancakes brown.

“I think if I have to wait anymore I’m gonna die. I call first dibs,” Ned announced.

“What?! You can’t call dibs on these! That’s not fair!” Peter pouted.

“Hey Ned, in the cabinet next to the fridge is some hot cocoa, can you grab it?” Michelle said taking a plate from the stack.

“Yeah! Uh, over here…?” Ned mumbled as he walked over towards the fridge.

Michelle quickly slipped the first two pancakes onto the plate and handed it to Peter. He gasped in excitement bouncing on his heels and then leaned in and… kissed her. On the cheek. But he still- kissed her. She looked over at him but he was too busy grinning and smothering his pancakes in syrup. She was shocked, she hadn’t expected that and especially from Peter. Not that she was complaining per say, she had been mulling over these feelings she started developing for Peter about two months ago, shortly after homecoming. She was sure the kiss had meant nothing but it had her now settled stomach doing backflips and she hated it. She cleared her throat and started two more pancakes as Ned came back with the box of hot cocoa and gasped.

“Dude! I called dibs!” He snapped at Peter.

“Don’t you remember what MJ said? You snooze you lose,” Peter defended with a mouthful of pancakes.

“Not cool man, not -,” Ned grumbled before Michelle placed a plate with the second pair under his nose.

“So cool, smells so good, holy cow I’ve been waiting all morning for these,” Ned said taking the plate and licking his lips.

Michelle chuckled and started one big one for herself while nodding towards the box of hot chocolate.

“Crack it open, nothing like hot chocolate during the first snow of the year,” she said with a big smile and her losers cheer.

-

“Are those banana chocolate-chip pancakes I smell?” Michelle asked walking down the stairs.

The Stark Tower was decorated head to toe in every festive piece of decor that Tony could find. Their huge Christmas tree nearly reached the ceiling of their second story penthouse apartment and was covered in twinkling white lights. A real fireplace crackled in the living room beneath the 88 inch tv and Christmas music played steadily through the apartment. It was very much full of holiday spirit, _expensive_ holiday spirit, but that was expected now that she was a Stark.

Peter glanced over his shoulder and smiled at his wife while flipping a pancake.

“Maybe,” he said winking.

She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved her husband’s shoulder while she watched him cook. The smell brought her back to that time she and the boys had their movie marathon. The first time she had watched the snow fall and actually looked forward the holiday festivities. The snow had trapped them in and she hadn’t felt alone, like she usually did, in a very long time.

“Hey FRI? What’s the forecast for today?” Peter asked.

“A blizzard warning with a low of 27 and a high of 33,” FRIDAY relayed.

“Hm sounds wonderful,” Michelle said sarcastically.

“Wanna grab the hot chocolate MJ?” Peter said.

“Well… I suppose since it is the first snow fall of the season,” she said bumping his hip over with her own so she could grab the hot cocoa.

However, she wasn’t able to reach it. Before Peter could look up and help her, a weight rested on her lower back and another hand grabbed it.

“Easy now Spider-Girl,” Tony chuckled handing her the box.

“God I feel so handicapped,” she groaned glaring at the box of hot chocolate.

Tony and Peter laughed. Tony pulled out mugs and beside Peter, Pepper joined them and pulled out plates.

“I hardly think that being pregnant counts as being handicapped,” Pepper smirked.

“Feels like it,” Michelle grumbled laying her hands on her large stomach.

They all laughed now, even Michelle. Behind them the elevator dinged and they looked over to their guests now arriving. Ned shuffled out of the elevator with a sack under one arm and a bag in the other. Behind him his wife, Shuri grinned and waved to them behind him.

“Good _morning Starks!_ ” Ned sung dropping the sack by his feet.

“Hey man! How was the trip?” Peter asked with a big smile.

“Great! Glad we got here before the storm though,” Ned said and Shuri placed their coats on the coat rack by the door.

“Shuri, I’m so happy you came this year!” Michelle said and hugged the woman.

“Wouldn’t have missed it! Or you, how are you feeling girl?” Shuri asked.

“Handicapped,” Michelle huffed and Peter snorted.

“Oh wait, is that - are those what I think they are?” Ned gasped walking into the kitchen.

“Hot cocoa is served,” Tony announced pouring the hot drink into mugs for all of them.

They each grabbed a mug and plate of pancakes, one by one shuffling into the living room and in front of the fire. They caught up with Ned and Shuri, talking about all that they had missed and filling them in on what was happening in New York.

“T’Chanda is getting so big now,” Ned sighed.

“Well T’Challa grew just as quickly when he was a boy so it is now surprise,” Shuri said sipping her drink.

“I hope ours doesn’t take after my growth spurt,” Michelle sighed cuddling closer under Peter’s arm.

“My mother hopes ours will take after Ned. She thinks my brother and I are too thin,” Shuri said.

“Oh I’m su- wait, what? Did you- are you guys-?” Michelle stuttered and Peter gasped with a big grin.

Ned and Shuri nodded with beaming smiles and Michelle and Pepper squealed in excitement as they all congratulated the couple. Tony refilled all their hot chocolates as the girls discussed baby plans and Peter and Ned shared dad advice they had researched here and there. Michelle couldn’t help the large smile that hurt her cheeks, she was surrounded by her family and now it was getting bigger. FRIDAY announced it was snowing and they all looked out the window, steaming mugs in hand and watched the flurries of white ice crystals flutter over the view of the city. Her hot chocolate warmed her tummy and Peter’s arm wrapped around keeping her even toastier. She smiled up at her husband and he leaned down to peck her on the lips.


End file.
